Seismologists claim that the "Caldas tear," a break in a slab separating two tectonic plates is the reason for "curious" seismic activity beneath east-central Colombia's high-grade mineral deposits.

Researchers Alberto Vargas and Paul Mann of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia and the University of Houston, respectively, published a paper in June whose data is said to "reveal a clearly defined, prominent tear."

The BSSA is published by the Seismological Society of America, an international scientific society devoted to the advancement of seismology and the understanding of earthquakes for the benefit of society.